The Director-General of the Department of State Security Service, (DSS), Adeola Ajayi, has articulated what few security chiefs would dare acknowledge: communities must become the first line of defence against insecurity and terrorism. This postulation represents obvious breakthrough thinking, yet uncomfortable questions remain about why such a brilliant strategy remains unimplemented despite years of worsening criminalities across the nation.
Ajayi’s argument rests on stark arithmetic that cannot be ignored. Nigeria’s armed forces, police, and intelligence agencies total fewer than one million personnel, insufficient to protect 230 million citizens spread across 923,768 square kilometres. Even if every security officer worked without rest, comprehensive protection remains mathematically impossible.
More damningly, the security establishment faces widespread perception of tolerance toward jihadists, terrorists, and bandits, enabling their operations to expand across ungoverned spaces. Communities, by contrast, are everywhere, positioned to detect and respond to threats before they escalate. Historical evidence Ajayi cites is compelling. Azare community in Bauchi State annihilated Boko Haram terrorists years ago, killing every attacker. Since that day, no terrorist attack has touched that community. Tafa Balewa residents similarly stood their ground, seized the invaders’ weapons, and successfully defended their territory.
These examples demonstrate that Nigerians possess the capacity for self-defence when properly organised and empowered. Yet Ajayi’s proposal raises disturbing questions about implementation. As head of security services, has he advised President Bola Tinubu on this strategy? Why has it not been converted into active policy? Three years into Tinubu’s administration, insecurity has worsened. The All Progressives Congress (APC) was voted into power in 2015 principally because of insecurity, yet between Muhammadu Buhari and his successor Tinubu, have presided over worsening insecurity. Ajayi appears to preach to thin air rather than create machinery for implementation.
The proposal to license firearms for community vigilante outfits remains controversial, with retired General Ishola Williams calling it an invitation for anarchy. Yet leaving citizens totally helpless and vulnerable to armed invaders is equally irresponsible and unacceptable. Security is more about intelligence than wasteful kinetics, and communities provide the intelligence network that the security agencies desperately lack.
We must harness synergy between armed forces and people by establishing formal community vigilante structures with state government oversight and DSS/police licensing for appropriate firearms, creating accountability mechanisms. Also, embedding military and police liaison officers within community security frameworks to provide tactical guidance alongside joint intelligence committees where community members share local knowledge with security agencies will help. Rapid response protocols enabling the armed forces to deploy within hours when communities identify imminent threats is essential.
Nigeria must abandon the antiquated British colonial security template designed for domination. This template assumes state monopoly of violence which is incompatible with democratic principles where criminals should not enjoy monopoly of violence. Communities must be empowered to defend themselves while maintaining coordination with professional security forces. Will Tinubu’s government act on this? When?
